


Call on That Day

by gwangmyungboy



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Middle School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 21:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13622163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwangmyungboy/pseuds/gwangmyungboy
Summary: After some long deep breaths taken to slow down his racing heart, and had convinced himself that his teacher didn’t see it, Jinki fumbled with his bag digging for science book then processed to open the page his teacher had instructed. He lowered his head closer to the book as if he didn’t just break one of school rules.





	Call on That Day

**Author's Note:**

> The setting is situated on summer of 2003. Words in italic are mostly Junghee’s thoughts and some of them are voices in the background. While italic words with single quotation are voice on the phone. And the ones with double quotation are flashback. I hope you are not confused.

By the time hit 8.45 am school bell echoed throughout the hallway, signified the start of supplementary class. The bell rang so loud in dry air of summer ushering all students to take their own seat in their respective classes. Classroom 8-3 was especially loud today, one boy caught Jinki bringing a handphone, which was not commonly kids around their age had. As soon as the news left pass one’s mouth, it flied so fast across the class, all curious heads almost immediately huddled and gathered around Jinki.

"Woah Lee Jinki how did you get this?"

"Isn't this s105? Newest model from samsung? My dad also has this! Cool!"

"Really?"

"Woah!"

Jinki could only watch helplessly as the said device was passed here and there since everyone wanted to get a hold of it. Once one pair of hands got a hold they seemed couldn't stop flipping the phone, giving access to the observer to see every part, every side of it, like they were trying to unfold the mysteries the thing possessed.

“There’s the antenna you see! It sends the si- si- what?”

“Signal!”

“Yeah! The antenna sends signal from the phone to the radar so we can make a call without cable.”

“But how can we hear sounds?”

“You don't know? That is becaus-“

Creaky sounds from their classroom door sliding against floor cut their discussion short. Followed by _open your science book, page 32_  their teacher stepped into the class. The crowd that had been surrounding Jinki was automatically dismissed, each rushing into their seat. Hurried steps and shushing noises could be heard for few seconds. One boy who was holding the phone tossed the poor thing like it was worth less than a cent out of panic before he ran to the back of class which was apparently his seat was located. Having a good reflex, Jinki caught it just in time and quickly put it under his desk, effectively hid his mobile phone from their homeroom teacher’s observant eyes. Strict school rules banned the students bringing any kind of electronic device.

After some long deep breaths taken to slow down his racing heart, and had convinced himself that his teacher didn’t see it, Jinki fumbled with his bag digging for science book then processed to open the page his teacher had instructed. He lowered his head closer to the book as if he didn’t just break one of school rules.

 

***

 

Morning sunlight came through the wooden window frame and shone the dust that was calmly fluttering afloat in the air. Until a girl broke it, running in hustle. She dived on the morning sunlight pooled in the empty hallway.

9.10 am, Junghee was late.

She slowed her pace and completely stopped in front of a shoe cupboard. A pair of white indoor shoes thrown carelessly on the carefully cleaned floor. Junghee hurriedly slipped her feet into the pristine white footwear and placed her sneakers inside shoe cupboard number 8 without even seeing. Without wasting a time she climbed the stairs rushing to classroom 8-3. She stood for a while in front of her classroom door, mentally preparing herself for what she about to face. Faint voice of her teacher explaining could be heard from where she stood. Junghee pictured her teacher’s bemused face and many pair of eyes directed on her inside her head. She shut her eyes tightly before opening them wide and exhaled loudly.

The teacher halted midway her explanation the moment the classroom door slid open. Junghee stepped in with her head hanging low. It was quiet for few seconds before the teacher’s voice came.

“Kim Junghee? You’re late again?”

The said girl bowed down in guilty, “I apologize miss.”

The teacher could only shake her head and turned to face the entire class, _you all should not be late even for supplementary classes-_. Junghee straightened up and swept her gaze on every direction – thinking to herself that what she had imagined was true, majority of her classmates turned to see her, some even twisted in their seat – only to hurriedly lower her head again when she caught Jinki’s eyes, who had also been staring at her. Faint red dusted across her cheeks.

“I let you off this time Junghee, next time you will be standing with one leg outside the class until the first subject ends. You may go to your seat.”

Junghee bit her lower lip, her mind racing, trying to build up some excuse. But the only thing she could come up with inside her head was _I’m sorry, I fell asleep at daisies field behind the school_  which was not entirely a lie. But she couldn’t tell anyone about it. It had been a secret she shared only with the flowers, the butterflies which always meandered around, her dachshund pup Roo.

And Jinki.

Junghee clumped her mouth shut as the red on her cheeks deepened. Without any word she went to her seat by the window and quietly opened her book. Her deskmate smacked her shoulder gently and mouthed _yah! Jungheeyah, where have you been?_ which she could only smile sheepishly in return. After some time had passed, she meekly swept her gaze across the class again as if to prove her classmates’ attention had finally turned away from her. Finding Jinki had turned to the front taking some notes, she raised both her hands to her cheeks and heaved in relief. She then looked over by the window, staring longingly at the faraway ocean of daisies.

 

***

 

Junghee really liked daisies.

Despite the summer, her worst enemy, she could endure the heat and lie down in between clusters of daises in the field. Roo would join her sometimes. Whenever she already found comfortable spot on the ground, it would be hard for her to get up, hence she often lost track of time or to be honest, fell asleep.

Occasionally she would come at night when the sun was bit too unbearable, laying down while gazing up the skies, studying every constellations she could find gave her special feelings. She liked the way daisy petals caressed her cheeks when they swayed to the calm breeze. She just really liked to be there with Roo lied down on her chest.

 

 

When the last class ended, Junghee quickly packed her things before dashing out from her class. One of her friends called out after her by the classroom door, _Jungheeyah! We’re gonna have mandarin and watermelon feast! Come back!_ Junghee turned to her friend and shouted back “Save some for me tomorrow Tae!” She sure heard distant voice of her friend telling her _In your dream! If you don’t want we will just eat those for ourselves!_ but she already fled off to the school yard.

The breeze slipped in between strands of Junghee's hair and blew them as she bounced on each step she took. Smile intact on her face. With her favorite red umbrella in hand, she was running to the field.

Mandarins could wait.

 

 

 

Jinki really liked swimming.

There was no day of him not going to the swimming pool at the end of daisy field owned by one warm man, except the days when he was raging with summer cold in his bed few days ago, pardon him. He always came there after some rounds of dodge ball on yard after school, which his team hardly losing at, _Look Jinki! We won again!_ Minho, their ace, would shriek in victory. And then they would gather around and do their ceremony handshake, laughing in pure delight.

_Minhoyah, are you coming to the pool today?_

_Sorry hyung, I have to help my parents in their pastry shop, big order arrived!_

_Woah!! okay then but you come tomorrow right?_

_Tomorrow! Call!!_

So that day Jinki came only with few friends of his. They had jumping to the water match after had done some warm ups (the owner had scolded them once when they tried to jump straight into the water without loosening up their muscles, Jinki remembered clearly the man yelled with his weird accent, _Boy! Do the warm ups unless you want to go home with cramp!_ ). Unsurprisingly turned out that Jinki had the coolest pose out of all of them. Jinki just wished it didn’t cost his nose. It felt really nasty.

 

Jinki’s favorite was backstroke. Being in the water while facing the sky gave him odd sense of security. He often just let himself floated aimlessly, bathing in afternoon light. The clouds, he wondered, if them floating in the air was just the same like what floating in the water felt like. Needless to say, Jinki would also often found being lost in thought, with eyes focused on fluttering clouds miles above him.

By the time hit 2.00 pm they called it a day and got out from the water, rushing to use the shower first.

 

 

***

 

 

The sun started to slip to the west when Junghee heard faint familiar voices from the spot she was laying. It came from the direction of that swimming pool located. She strained her ears more in attempt to catch one particular voice, and she got it for the owner of the voice just laughed carelessly at what she assumed a joke one kid cracked.

_Ah so they have just finished for the day,_  

She mused to herself. Noting the voices grew distant, she turned her focus back to one daisy she had been twirling on her right hand. Junghee smiled at it and let her eyelids drop. She failed to notice that one particular boy had stopped in his track, bid a goodbye to his friends, and turned to walk into her direction.

 

 

Jinki just laughed at his friend’s joke, he laughed so hard his stomach hurt. He raised his hand to wipe off the tears that had gathered at the corner of his eyes. Then Jinki let his eyes wandered to ocean of daisies spread in front of him. His brown orbs caught a figure laying amidst the flowers. One of his friends turned to him noticing he had stopped in his track.

“Jinkiyah, what are you looking at?”

“Huh?”, Jinki turned his attention from the field away and looked at his friend, “..nothing.” he smiled.

Before he took another step he stopped again and mumbled loudly, “..I think I left my goggles in the locker.” And he was running back to the pool before his friends could have time to react.

“Yah! Yah! Jinkiyah! Where are you going?”

“See you tomorrow at school Kibumah!” Jinki shouted back, running backward, he waved his hand wildly to his friends with big grin spread across his face.

 

After making sure his friends had disappeared from the corner of the street, Jinki quickly changed his direction to the field.

 

 

***

 

 

“Isn’t this why you’re always late for supplementary class?”

A voice broke the silence that had been accompanying Junghee. Having not sensed a presence getting closer to her, Junghee opened her eyes wide, bit shocked. Then she saw Jinki upside down from where she was laying, looming over her, he blocked most of the sunlight. She quickly scrambled to sit up, Jinki stepped away giving her more space. He then flopped down to the ground one feet beside her.

“…well, yeah. You can say that.”

She answered bashfully, smiling down at her hands. Jinki glanced at her for a moment then turned to his front. The afternoon breeze washed over them when silence fell between them. Jinki plucked a flower within his reach and brought it closer to his face. Musing to himself how pristine white the petals were.

“Isn’t it bit dangerous though? I mean all the laying down between the flowers you did without an adult supervising?”

Jinki asked aloud. His brows furrowed a little, “and not to mention those times when you just fell asleep! How could you do that? Here, the field, is not really a good place to fall asleep carelessly like that you know.” Jinki’s frown deepened as he imagined bad possibilities, “What if you get kidnapped! I heard there was this kid got kidnapped and forced to work as laborer in this factory, and-”

_He’s rambling,_  she thought. The corner of her lips quirked up in amusement, as Jinki was still going on with his ramblings about kids kidnapping he apparently got from watching 6 pm news on television.

“Well, I’m still okay,” A tiny butterfly came into Junghee’s periphery, “and I think this place is perfectly safe. It’s not like some guy from serial killer would come out at any moment.” She mumbled, without breaking her gaze on the butterfly. It rested momentarily on a flower nearby before whirling around Jinki’s right ear, seemed to have mistaken it for another flower. However, Jinki almost immediately swept his hand over his ear, sent the little creature flying away.

The sound of polyphonic ringtone interrupted Jinki even before he could have time to open his mouth. An incoming call from his mom. He flashed a sheepish smile towards Junghee then ducked his head to answer the call.

“Hello, mom?”

Junghee eyed the device on Jinki’s hand. _For the newest model, it looks so small and cool,_ she mused to herself.

“You have already got home? That is once in blue moon! Where’s dad?”

Her stare shifted, _And for boy around our age, he has such large palms… but his fingers are so short.._

“Hm.. yeah I’ve just finished my swimming, hmm okay see you at home.”

_Weird hands…_

Junghee was amused with her own thoughts.

“So, that is the device the kids at class had been fussing about..”

Jinki hummed as an answer. The device was slipped back into his pocket.

“Nothing big really.”

She huffed, “But it’s so cool to have your own handphone! I want to have one too,”

“My parents are both working at our shop until late. It’s easier to communicate with them using this, that’s why…”

“Hey, anyway do you want watermelon? The old man gave me some when we finished and I was intending to eat it at home, but food tastes better when we share right?”

Jinki struggled for a while taking out a container from his bag. Junghee just watched as he removed the cover, revealing neatly cut watermelons. _The old man sure is a nice man,_  she thought. She then looked up to see Jinki’s reassuring smile. The container stretched out to her.

She got reminded of particular feast she had ditched, “Thanks..” she grinned.

Jinki put down the container between them after they each had popped some of the fruit into their mouth. The clicks of cicadas take over when silence fell between them again. Junghee folded her legs and brought them closer to her chest. Putting her chin on top of her knee, she let her mind wandered to Jinki’s phone. Replaying when he talked with his mom over the phone a while ago. She had really no idea what she was thinking until a wonder came up into her head. How does it feel to actually call him? Having a talk about homework or just plainly talking about nothing.. _Wait, is it okay to ask for his number though?_

“It’s okay though?”

Jinki answered nonchalantly around a mouthful of watermelon. Junghee’s eyes widened, she almost sputtered for a moment but she managed to hold it back. With mouth tightly shut, she mentally cursed herself for thinking out loud. She then quickly ate more watermelon, restraining more words to come out from her mouth. Hearing no response, Jinki quickly swallowed in rather ungraceful matter and turned his head to her. Head sank deeper in between her knees, with mouth still busy chewing the fruit and burning cheeks. Junghee surely made a cute sight that Jinki barely held back his amused laugh.

Jinki pulled out post-it and a pen, quietly scribbled down his phone number. Ripping the paper from its binder, he then stretched it to the girl beside him. But the said girl didn’t budge even for a bit. A light nudge to her shoulder, she finally lifted up her head to see Jinki’s soft reassuring smile for the second time of that day. He wanted to make her know that he was sincere giving her his number, and not just for mere joke.

Junghee bit her lower lip, hesitating before she timidly grasped the paper from his hand. Jinki just flashed a smile upon seeing that, the flashing his crooked teeth one.

“Feel free to call me anytime, I usually don’t sleep until 11 pm. We could talk about homework or school project you know.”

Junghee smiled.

 

 

 

Jinki and Junghee weren’t close friends by any means.

They were just mere classmates since their first year of middle school, they didn’t talk much to each other, unless those times when they were paired up or in the same group for school projects. Until one day of summer last year, there was a rain. Jinki just came out from the gate of the swimming pool, then he found his eyes sought a figure laying between clusters of flowers in the field, unmoving. He tried to ignore it as he was in hurry to get home. But as he walked away, he felt drops of water fall from the sky. It was starting to drizzle. His eyes flied back to the figure, it didn’t even stir and Jinki wondered if it was a dead object he had been looking at.

Curious, he steered his steps to the laying figure, his hurry of getting home forgotten. As he got closer, he found himself staring at a familiar face-it was one girl from his class, Junghee. And she was asleep. Jinki curled his lips to an unconscious pout. He couldn’t just leave the girl here and he also didn’t have a heart to wake up his classmate. She looked so peaceful in her slumber. He bit his lip, wondering what he should do. As the drizzle fell more strongly into a full blown rain, Jinki quickly pulled out his umbrella from his bag. He opened it and crouched down, trying to give a shelter for his classmate.

_What do I do-_

While Jinki agonizing over his dilemma, Junghee started stirring awake for she felt drops of water splashing to her legs and the breeze blew stronger. Her hazy eyes caught Jinki, who had stiffened, unsure of what expression to make and what words to say, with blue umbrella on his right hand.

Junghee, somehow, could remember the way he’d looked back then.

From then on, sometimes Junghee would have another companion as Jinki joined her after he swam. They had silent agreement about not telling anyone about the field, Junghee didn’t even bother to ask Jinki to keep it a secret, and Jinki didn’t tell anyone either.

 

 

***

_What will I say to him if he ever answers the call.._

Junghee eyed the home phone on her hands warily. She had no idea of what made her suddenly had the urge to call Jinki that night. She was just rummaging through her bag when the notes with Jinki’s number scribbled on it fell down. She actually had forgotten she had the paper in the first place. But five minutes later she found herself standing before the small desk where her family’s home phone placed. Building a scenario inside her head where Jinki would answer her call made her heartbeat went a tad faster and her cheeks grew warm.

She was nervous for no apparent reason.

“What are you doing there? Don’t make a late night call.”

Junghee’s elder sister spoke as she passed behind her, with neatly folded laundry on her hands. The eighth grader’s shoulder hunched lower at her sister’s chide.

“Jungheeyah, it’s past 9pm. Your friend might have gone to bed already.”

Junghee turned her head to her mom, finding the older woman carrying her sleeping one year old little cousin. The little boy was holding something in his sleep. She couldn’t tell what that was as her cousin practically hugged it tightly to his tiny chest. She smiled at such adorable sight before putting back the phone.

She could make a call any other time.

Her steps fell behind her mother, following the older woman to where she was gently putting down the little boy into his crib. He didn’t stir even a bit, too deep in his peaceful slumber. His grip did loosen up though, letting Junghee to see what he had been holding. It was her mother’s handphone.

“Why does he have your phone mom?”

“Hmm.. It’s broken and your sister got me a new one. So I gave it to him as a toy. And the little guy didn’t let go of it since.”

A soft smile adorned her mother’s lips, eyes not leaving the baby as the older woman patted his tiny tummy gently. After few pats and little peck for the little boy, her mother straightened up and looked at her.

“You should go to bed too, sweetheart. It’s getting late.”

Her mother said with a soft kiss placed on top of Junghee’s head.

 

 

***

 

 

Junghee was in the middle finishing her essay on lunch break when she heard footsteps approaching her desk. From the corner of her eyes she could see a pair of white indoor shoes stopped beside her. She looked up only to find Jinki staring down at her with a hard expression. It was odd to see such expression drawn on his gentle features. And she couldn’t recall any wrongdoings she had done to receive it.

“Junghee you have to come with me.”

Despite not knowing what was going on, Junghee silently followed Jinki. His back looked stiff and cold from where she walked few steps behind him. Jinki didn’t even look back to check whether Junghee was following him or not. He just kept walking ahead and led her up the stairs. They kept going until they reached the school rooftop.

“What happened?”

She asked as soon as they shuffled their feet toward the middle of the roof, each maintaining a good distance from the other. Jinki just stood in silence for few seconds, brows furrowed like he was thinking hard. Seeing that, Junghee waited patiently. Both of his fists clenching unclenching inside his pockets didn’t go unnoticed by her.

“You..” he paused, “What did you mean calling me yesterday?”

Slight high tone in his voice startled her.

“W- what?”

“Last night you called me!”

A faint accusation in his stare made her feel lost because she didn’t remember calling Jinki at all. She remembered putting back the phone without even making a call after her mom told her so and going bed afterward, and when she looked back later she might remember feeling little relieved yet disappointed that she didn’t call him.

“I.. I didn’t call you at all.”

Jinki’s face hardened, though his eyes became little unsteady as great confusion washed over him.

“No way! I know it was you calling me!!”

He raised his voice and Junghee didn’t like it a little bit because she was just as confused, having no idea of what Jinki was talking about, so she snapped.

“Aren’t you barking up the wrong tree, Jinki?”

Jinki closed his eyes, realizing they would go nowhere with raised voice and anger-clouded mind. He took a deep breath before loosening up his tense features.

“Last night, around a half past nine I got a call,” He elaborated in much calmer voice.

“– It was from an unidentified number, but I answered nevertheless. The line was silent for few seconds, I thought it was a prank call. Before I hung it up, came your voice. I just knew it was you. But then you abruptly cut the line. Fifteen minutes later you called again, you were outside this time.”

“O- outside?”

“As soon as I answered your call, you started rambling that I shouldn’t go anywhere after school, that I have to stay at my house for the rest of the day. But you know I cannot stand missing my swimming routine with my friends. You kept rambling that missing a day wouldn’t hurt and you also said this to me; _if you insist to go out, you will die_..”

Junghee was startled beyond comprehension, her heartbeat increased, there was no way she would tell Jinki that in such blatant manner. On the other hand, Jinki let out a sigh and ran his hand up and down the side of his face. He continued,

“Everything you said made no sense, it made me upset. So I hung up your call when you were still rambling."

It was quiet for a while as Junghee was still processing what she just heard and Jinki was waiting for her response. A cool summer breeze blew past them, the elevation of the rooftop made the breeze feel colder and fresher under the blasting heat of sunshine. It lessened a tension between them, but it didn’t have anything to do to calm Junghee’s racing mind. After it had downed at her, her stomach felt queasy because she was sure she didn’t call Jinki last night, let alone telling him what he had just elaborated.

“I’m telling you the truth, Jinki. It was not me. I didn’t call you at all last night.”

The calm on Jinki’s face was tentative as his eyes went cold again. He held Junghee in a stare she could never avoid, trying to search any sign if she was lying in her eyes. Only to find, she wasn’t. Junghee got distracted for a bit as her attention shifted to the rooftop access door where Jinki’s friends – Minho and Kibum – were coming. Jinki upon noticing his friends approaching, turned around and started walking to them.

“Yeah, okay then nevermind what I have said.”

“Wait, Jinki!”

Junghee could only watch as Jinki being wrapped in between his friends. She couldn’t do anything as they going down the stairs, their backs disappearing from her sight.

She had never felt so helpless before.

 

 

***

 

 

_You also said this to me; if you insist to go out, you will die._

Ever since their talk in school rooftop, Junghee had been feeling restless. The feeling of uneasiness burnt on the pit of her stomach. Why did Jinki accuse her for something she hadn’t done, she didn’t understand. She didn’t called Jinki last night, _so who…_ Something was off, that was for sure, but she couldn’t decipher what it was about. She was currently under the safe that was her home, laying on the sofa. After what had happened, she didn’t feel like going to the field. The uneasy feeling grew stronger as the time ticked by. It almost felt like someone close their hands around her windpipe, suffocating her.

She had to find Jinki.

She was out of her house in instance, running as fast as her legs could bring her. She ran towards the swimming pool Jinki had been going to for past few years. She was short of breath only after few seconds, but she forced herself to keep running. She couldn’t waste any time. Junghee kept her eyes ahead, unaware of anything she had passed by. _Just this one turn, one turn and I will see the field and there will be the pool across the field and it’s where Jinki must be at right now._  As she took turn to the left, Jinki came into her periphery immediately. He was walking alone with his eyes casted down on the road. Before she could call his name, a black sedan swerved out of control, heading right towards Jinki.

The awful sinking of her stomach made Junghee abruptly stopped dead in her track and her entire world stood still as the car slammed into Jinki, throwing him across the road. The buzz in her ears drowned out by a terrified scream as she witnessed Jinki fell down with sickeningly loud thud, bloody and beaten up.

_“Jinki!!”_

For it had been her own scream.

 

 

***

 

 

_His head injury was too severe. I’m sorry, Junghee. The funeral is tomorrow._

Junghee still remembered how upset her mom was when the older woman received the news on the phone. She still remembered how tears rolling down her aged pretty face when she told her about it. She also still couldn’t deal with it, she didn’t want to. It was still unbelievable for her. Even when she saw dried tracks of tears in her mother’s cheeks, Roo snuggled to her feet in attempt to cheer her –the pup somehow knew how upset Junghee was even when the girl hadn’t realized it herself– and the post-it Jinki gave to her that day bearing his phone number, she didn’t feel anything. There was a void inside her, gradually growing and engulfing her in a whole.

_I didn’t even have a chance to call him, to amend our last argument, and to say that I’m sorry._

Junghee stared at the paper, eyeing the number she had already remembered by heart yet had never dialed. The corner of her eyes caught a phone on the floor, which was her mother’s old one. Her cousin might have left it there after he had played with it. She picked it up. It felt heavy and solid in her palm. She looked at it for some moment with woeful eyes, numbness inside her slowly shifted into heaviness set on her chest. The blank screen of the phone somehow made her felt so lost. She heaved a shuddered breath. Then she found herself pressing few number buttons on the device.

Jinki’s phone number.

With closed eyes, she brought the phone to her ear. Imagining behind her eyelids that she called Jinki for real. She smiled a little.

“Hello Jinki? It’s me Junghee. How are you?”

But there was no voice greeted her back, no familiar warm voice answered her by the end of the line. And it hit her so hard she could barely breathing. The tears she had been holding back now freely rolling down on both her cheeks. Her body was shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably, because she knew, it was a broken phone she used. There was no call made in the first place. She knew that she just lied to herself. And she cried harder.

_Jinki.. Jinki!!_

Junghee threw herself down on the sofa she had been sitting at, with one hand still holding the phone. She just couldn’t think of anything but calling Jinki’s name repeatedly. _This feeling is the worst, I don’t want to feel like this. I want to get rid of this feeling. Jinki!_ Her voice muffled by the cushion as she continued hiding her tears. Deafening sobs could only be heard for some moment before it lessened to little hiccups, Junghee shifted her position so that she could take in the air easier. But her movement made her accidentally pressed the dial button.

_Tuuuuut.. Tuuuuut.._

The phone was connected.

Junghee could only stared in disbelief. Her jumbled mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening. _Wh- Why is it still connected? How is this still working?_

_What is happening?_

_What do I do?_

 

‘ _Hello, Lee Jinki’s speaking’_

 

Junghee’s heart stopped before increasing its pace. There was actually a familiar warm voice by the end of the line. She was stunned for a moment, her face aghast.

 

_’Uh? Hello?’_

 

She was not hallucinating.

With shuddered breath, she answered, “J- Jinki?”

The person on the other side of the phone responded in recognition, _‘Oh? Junghee!’_

She cut the line almost immediately. It was too much to take.

 

_What was that?_

_If that was one of sick joke please spare me._

 

Junghee was shaking, her confusion was beyond she could handle. Buds of cold sweat broke out on her temples. She closed her eyes trying to calm down her racing mind. Her fingers around the phone tightened.

 

_That was Jinki’s voice I just heard, right? Was I hallucinating?_

_No way no way could I hear his voice like he was just by the end of the line._

 

She opened her eyes only to see the device on her grip, it was lifeless. Her attempt in calming herself went in vain as her mind was still spinning in confusion. But then like tight rope snapped, suddenly their conversation in school rooftop yesterday flashed in her mind.

 

_“Last night you called me!”_

 

Junghee’s eyes widened, Jinki’s tensed feature was still vivid in the back of her head.

 

_“Last night, around a half past nine I got a call,”_

 

She turned her head to the right, knowing she could find the clock hanging on the wall. She held her breath. 

It was a half past nine.

 

_“…But then you abruptly cut the line.”_

 

Her face paled. She shifted back her eyes to the phone in her hand. Having known the time it was, the tick of the clock heard louder on her ears.

 

_Did he mean this call just now?_

_He had received this call.. yesterday?_

 

She then scrambled to get up, it was like her feet moving on its own. Without so much thinking she found herself walking to the front door, her breaths shallow. Only wearing thin layer of her pajamas, she ran outside her house to the direction of daisy field, not even minding the biting cold air of the night.

The phone was still on her tight grip, too.

 

_No way.. No way!!_

_This must be nightmare.._

_The accident never happened!_

 

The moon was nowhere in sight that night, making the skies darker as usual. Junghee increased her pace as she didn’t want to think much about it. She slowed down only when she was nearing the spot where some people had put down their memorial for Jinki by the side of the street where he was hit. She was heaving and trying to catch her breath. The cold night turned her breaths into puff of air. She then stopped in front of it. There was buckets of flowers, Jinki’s favorite comics, and his favorite snacks.

Her heart was heavy upon seeing that, yet she couldn’t feel anything.

She squatted taking a closer look of the memorial. She eyed them wordlessly, her mind was still struggling to wrap around the reality. But then she took out the phone remembering the anomaly that had just happened to her fifteen minutes ago.

 

_If it’s true that this phone can call Jinki a day before.._

 

Junghee dialed Jinki’s number again. Her slight shaking hand brought the device to her ear. Her heartbeat went faster as few ring passed.

 

_‘Hello?’_

 

Her heart stopped just like few moments ago.

 

“Jinki?”

 

_‘Junghee? Why did you cut the call before?’_

 

Junghee held back a sob. _Even though I don’t mention my name, he just knows I’m the one who call him._ The tears built up so fast under her eyelids, she shut her eyes so tight holding it back. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Jinki! Tomorrow after school don’t go anywhere!”

Without even letting the person on the other side of the phone said anything she continued, “Go straight to your home and stay in for the rest of the day!”

 

_‘What are you saying? I have to go to the pool! you know I cannot stand missing my swimming routine with my friends!’_

 

“Don’t go to the pool! Missing a day won’t hurt!”

Between her words she remembered what Jinki said on the rooftop, _“Everything you said made no sense, it made me upset. So I hung up your call when you were still rambling."_

 

_No.. No.. I have failed once.._

 

She went silent for a moment. Her eyes stared at the ground blankly.

 

_Will this fate never change?_

 

 

_‘Hello? Junghee? Are you there?’_

 

“Jinki..”

 

_‘What is going on with you?’_

 

_“You also said this to me; if you insist to go out, you will die.”_ One her free hand balled into fist. She couldn’t make the same mistake.

 

_No.. Don’t startle him.._

 

 

“Please..”

“..Jinki you have to listen to me! Can you please stay at home tomorrow after school.. only for a day? Please Jinki!”

There was no response, she took that as a cue to continue, “Tomorrow at school.. I will not remember calling you at all.. But please I’m begging you, believe my words Jinki!”

 

_‘..Okay, I understand. I will believe your words Junghee. Tomorrow I’m not allowed to go anywhere after school, huh?’_ She caught a hint of mischief in his voice, despite the tears that blocking her eyes, the corner of her mouth quirked up a little.

 

“Yes, please.. Thank you Jinki..”

 

_‘So, do you want to visit me in my house instead then?’_

 

Junghee froze at his question.

 

“Sure..” _No.. I can’t.._

 

_There was no way I meet the Jinki from yesterday.._

 

“Sure.. I will visit your house and meet you.”

_Even though I’ve saved this Jinki, I can never see him anymore.._

_He’s no longer in this world.._

 

_‘I hold your words Junghee! You have to come! I will wait!’_

 

 

Guilty smile drawn across her face, “Okay..”

 

_Even if this is impossible.._

 

“I will come and bring some ice cream, how does that sound?”

 

_‘Woah really? Sounds great!! Buy me the one with big cone!’_ Two big fat tears fell from her eyes immediately upon hearing his excited voice. She lifted up her hand to wipe them off. But more of them came out with no way to get stopped.

 

_I miss him.._

_I miss him so much.._

 

Her legs couldn’t hold her weight any longer so she made a move and sat down on that street. She folded her legs bringing them closer to her chest. “I will definitely come Jinki. You have to wait for me in your home, okay?”

 

_‘Sure!’_

Junghee could no more talk as a sob just left pass between her lips. She lowered the device so Jinki in the other side of the phone wouldn’t hear her crying. _Jinki.. Jinki!!_

After a moment had passed, the Jinki on the phone ended the call, ‘ _Okay junghee, see you tomorrow!’_

She just stared at the screen which was showing that the call had ended, she dragged her thumb to the hung up button and pressed it.

 

Then everything went black.

 

 

 

 

 

Junghee opened her eyes to the blinding sunlight. She groaned a little and closed her eyes on reflex before opening them slowly, trying to adjust to the bright light she apparently had been bathing on. After everything became clear, she took in her surroundings. Her back was slightly damp as she was lying on the mat of grass. Her cheek felt ticklish when the daisy petals came in contact as it swayed to the summer breeze.

She was in the field.

Flustered, she quickly sat up. She turned her head around as great confusion washed over her.

 

_What?_

_Noon? How is it noon now?_

 

From the spot she was sitting she saw a crowd gathered around the corner of the street across the field. It seemed something just happened. She stood up and start walking to the crowd, wanting to see up close. As she was taking few steps closer it was getting clearer for her to take in what was going on.

There had been an accident that noon.

Her heart stopped before going a tad faster. Without her even knowing, her mind instantly thought of Jinki.

_This noon? Ah right.. I’m going to go to Jinki’s house this noon.._

She could only watched as the paramedics carried a victim to the ambulance. She gave the victim a second look. _It isn’t Jinki.._ She could feel herself breathing more easily then. Two local officers were talking behind her, she strained her ears to get further information.

_No more victim. The only one is the driver himself with minor injuries. Cause of accident is fathomed to be worn tires, so it slipped causing the car swerved out of control. It’s fortunate that the street was empty.._

A beat later Junghee found herself running to the direction of Jinki’s house. Few turns taken and his house came in sight, as she was getting closer, she spotted Jinki opened the gate of his house. She could see his lips curled in pout for the closer she got, she heard a melodious whistle coming out from him.

_Jinki! Jinki! He is here.. He is still here!_

As if sensing her presence, he turned his head to her direction and smiled widely. She speed up upon seeing that.

There was still a half meter between them when Junghee decided to throw herself into Jinki. Her arms tightly wound around him, scared he would disappear if she didn’t hold him tight enough. For Jinki, getting addition weight thrown into his direction so suddenly, his feet couldn’t support it so they both fell to the ground. Junghee still had her arms around Jinki as she cried on his chest.

“Jinki!”

At loss of what was going on with the girl, he let Junghee wetting his front shirt. He then also slowly brought his arms around her, attempting to calm her down.

“Junghee.. Junghee.. you took so long to come, so I was just going to your house..”

“There was an accident near the field. It was so dangerous!” she said in between her tears.

Jinki stunned at her words, he thought she was really a soft-hearted that she would cry after witnessed an accident. He let out a fond sigh and he raised his hand to pat her head slowly.

_Sshh.. shh.. it’s okay, it’s okay.. I believe the paramedics will do their best to treat the victim!_

Jinki’s words made a smile formed on her face. _Of course he would think like that._ After few long breaths taken, some soft pats upon her head, and comforting words, she was calming down. She let him go and leaned back. Looking at Jinki, still made her confused beyond words. She still couldn’t tell what had just happened, about the anomaly that had just occurred over her mom’s old phone. But she thought about it again then, she realized that it didn’t matter anymore. The only thing that matter was the fact that Jinki was still there, exactly in front of her, _alive._ And she was so thankful for that.

“Ah! I forgot to buy you ice cream!”

Jinki chuckled in amusement, “No worries, let’s buy it together then!” His chuckle died, a slight frown drawn on his forehead, “But is it okay for me to go out now?”

It was Junghee’s turn to chuckle, the corner of her eyes crinkled in delight. Her arms circled around Jinki’s right one as she was slightly dragging him,

“It’s okay now!”

**Author's Note:**

> *This have been sitting on my draft for more than a year. And this is supposed to be finished and posted on Jinki’s birthday, but I had an exam that time so I postponed. Then Jonghyun gone on that day. I was having a really hard time (still am honestly) I believe all of us did. So I couldn’t continue to finish this few weeks ago. But then I remembered I really wanted to finish and post this. This is like a promise to myself that I had to fulfil. (Shout out to mi luv for being my personal cheerleader and putting up with my excuses!! Thankuu!!) And Jonghyun, i miss you. I hope you are on happy peaceful place now. I will always love you.
> 
> *If you are wondering if I changed the plot along the way regarding of what happened to jjong, the answer is no. I wrote all the plot from the start to the end as originally as I planned in 2016. And this story is also inspired by one story from comic こっちむいて!みい子by Eriko Ono, the title is あの日からの電話  
> Anyway 2003 is when imo a mobile phone was considered as one luxurious thing one person could have. Samsung s105 is a real thing! It’s the phone jinki held in that famous pic of him from Hello Baby! I had some research for that lol. The phone was released around 2003.  
>    
> *Also HAPPY JONGYU DAY!! For you who wonder, 9th February marked as half-way point of their birthdays. According to japanese shawols, it's jongyu’s mannaka no birthday or mid-birthday anniversary. A mid-birthday anniversary is usually celebrated between lovers and friends and is computed by finding the mid-date between the two persons’.


End file.
